


Let Me Take Care Of You

by thatonenerdygeek



Series: Ill Intentions [1]
Category: Borderlands
Genre: Also sorta sugar daddy, Alternate Universe - College/University, But sorta not, D/s relationship, Daddy Kink, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Manipulation, Unhealthy Relationships, idk - Freeform, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-07-27 05:24:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7605235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatonenerdygeek/pseuds/thatonenerdygeek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angel was lucky enough that her father, Handsome Jack, actually let her go to college. There, she made her first friend, Rhys. And they had been friends ever since.</p>
<p>Rhys was lucky enough to have gotten accepted into Eden-7's university before his parents were killed. He didn't know what he was going to do once he graduated, had barely any money and nowhere else to go.</p>
<p>That was...until Handsome Jack, his boss and his best friend's father, came along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Graduation Party

**Author's Note:**

> Oh hey. Yeah, I'm totally not doing a new fic. Psht, no.
> 
> Alright, yes, I am. I just couldn't get this idea out of my head. Also, in this story, Angel and Rhys are the same age. Just thought I'd put that out there.
> 
> Enjoy I guess????
> 
> Unbeta'd but what else is new?
> 
> My tumblr ~ http://hancock4prez.tumblr.com/ ~

“H-H-H-Handsome J-Jack...sir....w-what are...what are you...”

“Well, what do you know? One of our top interns knows my Angel. Easy, kid, you look like you’re about to shit your pants.”

“H-How do you know...who I...am?”

“I never remember faces but there’s no way I could forget that pretty face of yours. Your ass too, princess, you’ve got a damn nice ass.”

This wasn’t at all how Rhys thought his last night of university would go.

If he was going to go way all the way back to where it all started, it would be the first day of his second year of college on Eden-7. It was in his programming class where he was doing his usual scan around the room, trying to see who was new. But one girl stood out to him. At first, it was the cool side shave that caught his attention. Then, it was the two freakishly buff dudes watching over her. They seemed almost like bodyguards which was more than a little weird to him. Surely there would be rumors going around if someone famous was attending their school? But he hadn’t heard anything at all. She seemed nice enough though. And as the class went on, he realized she was actually extremely intelligent as well. 

“Hey...Angel, right? You know, you seem to know more than the professor does.”

“O-Oh...um...yeah, I kind of...learned it all when I was younger. B-But I still have to take this class anyway.”

“Well...I’m Rhys. And you seem pretty cool. Listen, my friend Vaughn and I are gonna go grab some pizza if you wanna join. Or if you...can join.” Rhys gave the two ‘bodyguards’ a nervous glance. They didn’t even blink an eye.

“Yeah...yeah! Yeah...I’d like that, Rhys. Plus, I’m really, really hungry anyway.”

That was their first conversation together. And they had been friends ever since. But never once did she talk about her family. He knew her mom died and she just lived with her dad but she never said much else regarding the situation. It never seemed like she really wanted to. 

Then...he landed an internship at Hyperion, just a month before their graduation. All...hell, all Angel said was that her dad worked there. Why did she have to be so vague?! How in the world did she not say even once that _Handsome Jack_ was her father?

“Uh...you okay there, kiddo?”

It took Rhys a minute to realize that he was just staring at Handsome Jack with his mouth hanging wide open. And then it took him another minute to register what the CEO had said to him. About...his ass. 

Oh god.

Rhys felt his cheeks heat up in an instant, immediately scrambling to distract himself with whatever he was originally in the kitchen to get. Um...what was it again? Great, now he couldn’t remember shit. “I-I-I was just gonna get...um...right, paper towels! U-Um, someone spilled their...drink on theeeee-ohgodwhatareyoudoing?” Before he could register what was happening, Rhys was cornered, his lower back pressing against the edge of the counter uncomfortably. Handsome Jack’s face was just centimeters away from his own and that alone made Rhys’ breath catch in his throat. His...’boss’ was just staring at him, studying him.

“How long have you known Angel?”

“S-Since her first day, sir.”

“You’re that nerd that took her out for pizza?”

“Yes?” The response came out as more of a whimper, which only made Rhys blush more. Just when he thought he couldn’t get more embarrassing, he does something like that. Of course. Handsome Jack didn’t seem put off by it though. More so just...amused.

“Come back in here when you’re finished. I wanna take a look of that arm of yours. And your cybernetics. Hyperion made, correct?” Handsome Jack was off of him in an instant. And Rhys had to hold back the sound of disapproval that threatened to bubble up. _Calm down, Rhys. Now isn’t the time to get clingy with your damn boss._ The younger man just nodded and hurriedly gathered up as many paper towels as he could before scurrying out of the room. All the while, he could feel the CEO’s heterochromatic eyes boring into the back of his head.

“Hey! What took you so long?” It was hard to hear Angel over the loud music in the living room but that was the least of Rhys’ worries at the moment. Carelessly tossing the paper towels over to the spot where the drink had been spilled, Rhys freed up his hand to instead grab Angel’s pale arm and pull her off to the side. “Geez, dude, what the hell?”

“Why didn’t you tell me your dad was Handsome Jack?” Rhys hissed to her once they were far enough down the hall to talk normally. He felt her arm tense under his grip before she tugged it back, her lips pursed together tightly.

“You know I don’t like talking about my parents, Rhys.”

“I got an internship at Hyperion, Angel! You knew your dad was my boss and you didn’t say anything?” 

“I didn’t want to scare you away.”

That...wasn’t what Rhys had expected. He stared at the smaller girl for a long moment before his features softened. “How would that scare me away? Your dad is...fuckin’ awesome, Angel. You know I’ve always admired him.”

“Yeah, a little bit too much. It’s bordering obsession.” Angel gave him a dramatic eye roll before crossing her arms over her chest. Now that he knew who her father was, he realized how similar they looked when she did that. “Yeah, you may think he’s awesome. But he’s also a murderer. He’s power hungry, he’s fu...freaking insane. Psychopathic, really. I thought...I dunno. That you’d be afraid he’d kill you or something like that.”

“Angel, I’m always afraid that he’ll kill me. Him being your dad isn’t changing that at all.” Alright, that didn’t sound nearly as reassuring as he had hoped it would.

_”Come back in here when you’re finished.”_

Handsome Jack’s words rang through his head, nearly sending Rhys into a panic. Making Handsome goddamn Jack wait wasn’t smart at all. Not in the least bit. He gave Angel and utter of an apology and a promise that he would be back soon before bolting back down the hall, back into the large group of people. Just to save as much time as possible, he decided to use his robotic arm to push people aside and get out of his way. It was a dick move, seeing as how that arm was so much stronger. But he’d rather have some annoying frat boys pissed at him than his boss. 

Once he got through the crowd and into the kitchen, he froze in place. It was deja vu all over again. He was there, frozen, just staring at Handsome Jack, who had returned to his previous position of leaning against the counter drinking a large glass of what looked like some sort of whiskey. Almost immediately, the older man’s heterochromatic eyes met Rhys’ widened, mismatched ones. Wordlessly, his boss gestured over to the bar stool in front of the island. And Rhys knew damn well that it wasn’t a suggestion.

It was a demand.

***

“And this...goddamn, kid, your arm is shit. What is this, a friggin’ prototype?”

“Um...yes, sir?”

Rhys’ voice was meek, slightly startled by how annoyed the other man had become. It had gone good so far. Handsome Jack started off poking and prodding at the port in his head - which stung like a bitch but Rhys didn’t tell him that - while asking various different questions. Then he moved to his ECHO-Eye and Rhys might as well have died then. There’s really nothing like having the man you’ve admired for so long being right up in your face and staring right into your eyes. Well...eye. And Handsome Jack was just curious throughout the whole thing, occasionally showing some excitement when Rhys talked about what certain things his cybernetics could do.

But then when it got to his arm, he just got flat out pissed.

“It’s cool that you have a one and only prototype and all but shit, how does this thing even function now?” Hands grabbed at his robotic arm, twisting and turning the metal in each and every direction possible. “I see some newer upgrades here but...hell, you seriously need a full upgrade.” Handsome Jack just ‘tsk’ed and continued to completely look over his arm. It was a sight Rhys wished he could remember forever. Handsome Jack, his boss, standing in front of him with his hands all over his arm. He was studying it intently, his black rimmed glasses slipping down his nose just a tad and a section of hair hanging against his temple, straying away from the rest of the man’s slicked back locks. Rhys’ inner fanboy was coming out again and he couldn’t help it. But really, fanboy or not, anyone would think this was an amazing sight. The man wasn’t called ‘Handsome Jack’ for nothing.

“Well, ah...when you’re a college student, it’s kind of hard to come up with the money for a full cybernetic upgrade.” Rhys awkwardly scratched at the back of his neck with his flesh hand, now looking everywhere else but directly at Jack. He didn’t trust himself enough to stare much longer. 

“Don’t’cha got family or somethin’?” The seemingly innocent question made Rhys stiffen, gaze now turned downcast to the floor. He was silent for a moment, not really wanting to answer the question but also not wanting to know what would happen if he didn’t answer Handsome Jack. “No. My folks died when I was 17. They were the only family I had known so...” He trailed off, willing himself to stay completely calm and not get too emotional like he usually did when talking about his family.

The man that had been futzing with his arm had paused, now watching him with a look of sympathy. But there was something else in his eyes...something Rhys couldn’t make out. Whatever it was, it was the complete opposite of sympathy. “Sorry about that, kid. You probably know but Angel lost her mother too. It was pretty hard on her, still is.” The fact that it kind of seemed like Handsome Jack was trying to make him feel better actually made Rhys smile a bit.

“Now,” Handsome Jack began, letting Rhys’ arm go with one last disgusted look at the outdated metal. Then, his eyes shifted to Rhys’ mismatched ones with a warm smile. “From what Angel has told me, you’re a pretty good kid, Rhys. You were the first person to take her under your wing. And I should repay the favor.” One of Handsome Jack’s hands came up to gently take his chin between his calloused thumb and forefinger. “Tell me, pumpkin. What are you gonna do after graduation tomorrow? Seeing as you’re just an intern and you don’t have family to support you anymore.”

“W-Well...I thought I could pick up a...I don’t know, a side job or something...until I’m an official employee at Hyperion.” Rhys fidgeted in his seat, suddenly much more aware of the other man’s presence and closeness. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.

“Tsk. Even with a side job, you really think you can get a decent place to stay on this fancy ass planet? C’mon, Rhysie, you’re smarter than that.” He wasn’t sure if it was the nickname or the praise but one of them sent a pleasant chill down his spine. It made him momentarily forget his previous discomfort with how close Handsome Jack had gotten to him. But only momentarily. Because soon enough, large fingers moved down from his chin, now dragging all the way down his throat, only stopping once they’re blocked by the buttoned up fabric of his black shirt.

“You have potential, kiddo. We can’t let that go to waste, can we? So, how about this...” With one hand firmly pressed against Rhys’ chest, the other gestured around the kitchen. “All of this can be yours. You can live with Angel and I for the time being while I set up a nice little job for you up on Helios. I’ll return the favor and take you under my wing, cupcake. Show you the ropes, give you a chance to get on your feet and so on.”

Rhys stared at the man before him, gaping as he tried to process what he was being offered. Handsome Jack... _the_ Handsome Jack...was offering Rhys to live with him. To give him a real job at Hyperion. To make sure he doesn’t end up completely homeless on the streets. But...

“What’s the catch?” He hadn’t entirely meant for that to actually come out and he almost winced when Handsome Jack’s hand came up to his face, assuming he would get the beating of a life time for questioning him. But instead, he just received a gentle pat to his cheek and an almost wicked grin.

“No catch, sweetcheeks. You’ll get your own room and everything. Now, you don’t have to tell me your answer tonight. I’ll be at the graduation ceremony tomorrow. And I hope to be taking both Angel and you home afterwards.” With a wink, Handsome Jack stepped back from Rhys, allowing the younger man to relax at least a little bit. But there was no way he could relax completely. Did all of that really just happen?

“Alright, you little shits!” Handsome Jack’s booming voice brought him out of his slight shock. The man was casually leaning against the doorframe leading out to the living room, arms crossed over his chest. “Get your drunken asses out of my house and try not to kill yourselves on the way back to wherever the hell you came from. No, no, Angel. Let the stupid Claptrap unit clean up, baby. You go get some rest for your graduation tomorrow, okay?” While Handsome Jack talked, Rhys attempted to sneak past him and hide in the crowd. But before he could even get out the room, a hand was wrapped around his metal wrist. “Think about my offer.”

“And call me Jack, kitten.”


	2. All Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys was freaking out trying to figure out what to say to Jack. And his friends were no help at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have such a love for manipulative Jack and awkward 'what the fuck is even going on' Rhys, I won't even deny it.
> 
> My Tumblr ~ http://hancock4prez.tumblr.com/ ~

Rhys knew he should be focusing more on his graduation but after last night, it was impossible.

He had come back to his and Vaughn’s dorm room and spilled everything right off the bat, down to every last detail. Including how hot Handsome Jack was in person, to which Vaughn made a mock gagging sound. In the end, his friend looked just as confused and conflicted as he felt.

“I mean...you know I love you and all, bro, but...you also know that my parents hate you and would never let you stay with us. And I’m still waiting for my application for the spot in Accounting at Hyperion to be accepted. So...y’know, I guess it’s saying yes to Jack or being a homeless intern.” Vaughn hadn’t seemed too happy about the either idea and that didn’t help Rhys’ dilemma at all. That night, Rhys was still unable to come up with a decision. And the next morning when Angel came over to get ready for graduation with him, she was even less helpful.

“So...your dad...um...”

“Yeah, he told me.”

“And?”

“It’s whatever.”

And that was that. She refused to go into further detail about it, only focused on perfecting her makeup. Still, he wasn’t even close to coming up with a decision. So, later that day when he was waiting for his name to be called, he figured he’d try to just figure it out himself. 

The positives? The main one being he’d be living with Handsome fucking Jack. There wasn’t even anything else to say about that. The other positive was that he would be getting a real job at Hyperion, hopefully a job that actually paid well. He would also be able to always hang out with Angel whenever they wanted. The penthouse they lived in was also extremely nice, so that was another plus. And y’know, he wouldn’t be homeless. Unless he somehow pissed Jack off, that is.

Which brought him to the negatives. Again, the main one was Jack. Everyone knew how terrifying Jack’s mood swings could be. What if he killed him? What if he kicked him out? And what if Jack was doing this with ill intentions? There was that look in his eyes when Rhys told him about his parents...like he was almost excited. Like that was what he was hoping to hear. 

That was honestly all of the negatives Rhys could even think of. But it was scary enough for him to still...have no idea what he should do. He couldn’t think about that now though. He just barely heard his name being called out and tried to make his way up onto the stage without tripping and making a fool of himself. From the seated crowd, he could hear Vaughn and Angel’s cheers. But there was also another voice he heard. Louder. Deeper. Practically booming and vibrating off the walls of the building. And it wasn’t until he collected his diploma that he was able to glance towards the crowd, spotting one single man standing there with a wide grin on his face and a camera held in his hands.

_Jack_.

***

Half an hour passed after the graduation was officially over and Rhys was finally able to make his way over to Angel, who had been talking to another girl from their Marketing class. But once she spotted him, she seemed to completely drop the conversation with the other girl and went rushing over.

“Hey, An-oof!” Thin arms wrapped around him, squeezing him as hard as they could. And as small as Angel was, boy, she was strong. “Can’t...can’t breathe. Angel. Losing oxygen. Very quickly.”

“You’re such a baby.” Angel rolled her eyes at him and reluctantly let her arms drop back to her sides, looking around the still quite packed room in awe. “Can you believe it? We’re college graduates! We’re moving up in life! Though...I don’t think my dad will actually let me get a real job.”

“You’re damn right, baby.” 

The sound of Jack’s gruff voice startled him to the point of all of the color draining from his face. Not only did he scare the shit out of him, but now this meant that it was time for Rhys to make an actual decision. He wasn’t ready. What if he ended up making the wrong choice? What if he said yes and end up finding out it was all a trick? What if he said no and Jack killed him? No one ever said no to Handsome Jack and lived. Well, except for Angel, of course.

“Alright you two, lemme get a picture.” Jack gestured for the two of them to stand next to each other before picking up his camera from its place around his neck.

“Daaaaaad.” Angel whined, absolutely hating having her picture taken. But Jack just arched an eyebrow at her from over the camera.

“I’m sorry, I thought someone wanted a celebration dinner tonight? Or was I wrong? Just stand for the damn picture, I’m not asking for much here.” Angel grumbled under her breath while Rhys just smiled awkwardly and stepped up to Angel’s side. His robotic arm originally just draped over her shoulders, but then a small smirk formed on his lips. Right at the last minute, his arm bent at the elbow and two fingers came up behind her head, giving her what he knew were extremely childish bunny ears. And from behind the camera, he could see Jack trying to fight back his own smirk but failing miserably. 

With a snicker, the camera lowered and Jack ran one hand through his slicked back hair. Suddenly, the smirk was gone. And he was now staring at Rhys just as intently as he had been the previous night. “You gonna celebrate with us or are you gonna just hit the streets, kiddo?” He knew what Jack was asking him. And he knew that there was no way he could go back on his decision once it was made. But he had to do it, there was no other choice.

“Yeah...I’m coming with you.”

***

Rhys had to admit...saying yes to living with Jack seemed like a damn good decision so far. The three of them had gone back to the penthouse after saying goodbye to Vaughn and promising to keep in touch. The car ride to the house was awkward, however. Angel had settled for listening to music like she usually did during car rides, leaving Jack and Rhys to have to face each other. For Rhys, it was awkward. But not for Jack, apparently.

“You looked good up there, kitten. Didn’t expect me to cheer for you, eh? I saw that look on your face.” The CEO glanced towards the younger man beside him with his signature smirk. Rhys already felt his neck starting to heat up, only able to shrug awkwardly before focusing his attention on the window beside him, watching the world pass outside. “Well yeah. I mean, you had no reason to cheer for me. We only met last night and I’m just an intern.”

“But you’re also my Angel’s best friend, kiddo. With how much she talks about you, I feel like I know you already.”

The corner of Rhys’ lips quirked up as he glanced over his shoulder to Angel in the backseat, who was busy searching through her songs. Funny how she told Jack all about Rhys but never once told Rhys anything about Jack. Yes. Yes, he was still bitter about that. 

Then he learned the ‘celebration dinner’ was homemade pizza, prepared by the one and only Handsome Jack. That really surprised him. Rhys had no idea Jack could actually cook. And damn well too. Now he would never be able to order pizza again.

And afterwards, Jack showed him to his...’room’. It was on the smaller side, which made sense because Jack said it used to be an extra office. But inside, there was a bed that looked way too comfortable to be real, a desk pressed up against the wall, a dresser for his clothes and so on. But...no bathroom. Shit.

“Oh yeah, the bathroom out in the hall doesn’t have a shower. So if ya need to clean up, don’t be afraid to knock. ‘Night, kitten.” With a far too suggestive wink, Jack turned to leave Rhys’ new room. Rhys just stood in the middle of the room, staring at the now closed door with a dry throat. And despite the bed being freakishly comfortable, there was just no way Rhys would be able to get any sleep after everything that happened.

Which led him to what he was doing currently. Blindly walking through the pitch dark kitchen in search for some sort of decaffeinated tea. Tea helps when you can’t sleep, right? The situation was completely new to him. Usually if he couldn’t sleep, he would use that time to do some work. But with college over and no projects from Hyperion to work on, there was absolutely nothing he could really do this late at night. 

Rhys began to pat around the cabinets until he was able to open one up, then patting around inside to see if he could feel anything that even closely resembled tea bags. Cabinet full of plates, nope. Cabinet full of glasses, nope. Cabinet full of junk food, nope but noted for later. Maybe his ECHO-Eye could work? With a grin, the cybernetics flickered on, which also just barely illuminated the area around him. Now, he was able to open each cabinet and scan through the items inside. Hyperion Coffee, Hyperion mugs, Hyperion...everything, holy shit. Not that that should be surprising, this was the president of Hyperion he was living with.

“Got an intruder here, huh?” The sound of Jack’s way too husky voice against his ear tore an embarrassingly high pitched scream from the younger man. Thankfully, it was barely able to get out before a large hand slapped over his mouth. The last thing he wanted was to wake Angel up and try to explain whatever the hell he was trying to do. WaitwasthatJack’shandonhismouth?

“Geez, cupcake, calm it down, will ya? And learn to use lights too.” With a snap of his fingers, the lights flickered on to Jack’s command and the hand fell from his mouth. Hesitantly, Rhys began to turn around to face the older man. A just as embarrassing whimper almost came out when he realized that Jack was practically pressed up against him, pinning him back against the counter like he had done the other night. “I...I didn’t want to wake anyone up.” His voice was soft, not trusting himself to speak any louder than a whisper.

Jack just rolled his eyes at him and flicked the middle of his forehead, making Rhys wince and rub at the spot with his flesh hand. “What were you even looking for in here, kid? It’s like...way past midnight.”

“Tea.” Rhys responded sheepishly while attempting to shuffle off to the side and away from the heat of Jack’s body. To his relief, Jack stepped away as well and knelt down to open up one of the bottom cabinets. “What kinda tea?”

“Anything decaffeinated. Whatever can help me sleep. I’m always really bad at sleeping in new places.” Rhys’ mismatched eyes watched Jack closely as he sorted through the boxes of tea before finally pulling out one specifically to help sleeping. But instead of handing it to Rhys, he just closed the cabinet door and started to prepare the tea himself. He wanted to say something, wanted to say that he could do it himself. But it was such a selfless act, especially for Handsome Jack. There was no way he could pass this up. So he just stood there awkwardly, glancing down at himself and suddenly feeling far too naked. He was just in a tank top and shorts but he was never one to show so much skin, especially in front of his boss. And his boss...

It took everything Rhys had to not drool right then and there when he realized Jack was just wearing a pair of sweatpants and nothing else. Completely shirtless. And all at once, Rhys’ fantasies started coming back full force. Like Jack sitting at his desk and making Rhys suck him off or Jack coming home and using Rhys to take out all of his frustration and...oh god, he had to stop. 

Rhys forced himself to tear his gaze away from Jack’s broad chest before hurriedly going over to sit at the island. _Good thinking, Rhys, he can’t see that stupid, traitor of an erection in your shorts from here_. “S-So...what are you doing up?”

“I’m Handsome goddamn Jack, princess. I always have a shit ton of work to do. But this time I was just going through the pictures from your graduation. Gotta say, it was a bit disappointing to see that cute ass of yours hidden under your robe.” Rhys nearly choked on his own spit. Sure, this wasn’t the first time the man had commented on his ass but that didn’t make it any less shocking. He didn’t know what to say, even as Jack came around the island with a mug in his hand. Just like earlier, Jack’s voice was right in his ear, making his whole body go rigid.

“Maybe I’ll just have to take more pictures for my own personal collection.”

Oh, Rhys was so fucked.

***

“So, what kind of job will work best for ya, kid?”

“Um...anything to do with programming, really. I could maybe do something with marketing though, if I needed to.”

Jack had brought Rhys into his office after giving him his tea, saying he wanted to get to work on finding him a proper job at Hyperion. And even though his head was still swimming from all of the comments made about his ass, Rhys had agreed and followed the man obediently.

With a small nod, Jack pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose before searching through all of the available job openings. Meanwhile, Rhys sat at the opposite side of the desk and silently sipped at his cooling tea. There was something so intriguing about watching Jack work. It was a side that no one really saw. Everyone always just saw the cocky, arrogant CEO that cracked jokes and threatened to rip people’s heads off. No one really saw him when he was deep in his work and like many things about that man, it looked rather sexy.

“Alright, kid. I could give you Vasquez’s position because I’ve been wanting to throw that asswipe out of an airlock since I first met him. But Wallethead was fun to mess with. Anyway, I could give you his position or...I could give you Meg’s.” The older man propped his chin up on his hand, glancing up at Rhys from above the rim of his glasses. Rhys’ brows furrowed, not entirely sure who ‘Meg’ was. He knew Vasquez, of course, his current boss that he reported to. But...Meg? Upon seeing the look of complete confusion on his face, Jack rolled his eyes. 

“Meg. My PA, kid. Now, don’t get me wrong, she’s a nice chick and all but there’s something appealing about you working beside me.” Was Jack suggesting what he thought he was suggesting? No. No way. There’s no way. There’s no way Rhys could be that lucky to be Jack’s... _personal assistant_. Just the thought of it made him feel all giddy. But no, he had to be cautious. It was already kind of suspicious that Jack asked him to stay with him after meeting Rhys just once. Now he wanted him to be his PA? It was weird and even Rhys knew that.

“Why? Sir...u-um, Jack...you’ve only known me for a couple days now, aside from what Angel’s told you about me. And I haven’t even been interning for Hyperion that long. Shouldn’t a job like that go to someone more...qualified? Someone you can trust?” Rhys’ mismatched eyes looked everywhere but Jack’s face. He could feel the man’s gaze on him, hard and focused. It made Rhys feel meek and small. And that feeling only worsened when Jack stayed silent, even as he got up to walk around and stand behind Rhys’ chair. _Oh god, he’s gonna kill me, I knew it._

Suddenly, large, calloused hands were on his shoulders. He didn’t press down, but there was enough pressure there for Rhys to know damn well that he was there. “Lemme tell you my thinking, kiddo.” Fingers finally pressed into his shoulders, making the younger man wince even though he tried to hide it. “You’ve known my Angel for a few years now. She never got hurt in your company and she would always come back happy. So for that alone, I know I can trust ya. And you were still able to succeed after your folks died. That’s admirable, kid. And I won’t lie, having a pretty little thing like you by my side would make working a hell of a lot less stressful.” The fingers continued to press down, now to the point where Rhys feared they would leave behind bruises. “Now...I give you a place to stay free of charge...I give you the promotion of a lifetime...and you’re sitting here questioning me?”

The wave of fear hit him in an instant. Jack’s grip had gotten far past uncomfortable, now feeling almost painful. And his voice was now right beside his ear, nearly growling. Rhys would have been completely turned on if he wasn’t completely terrified of having his neck snapped. But all of a sudden, Jack’s booming laugh broke him out of his fear, causing him to awkwardly turn his head to see what in the world was going on.

“Y-You really fear me, kid! You really thought I was gonna kill ya! Oh come on, I wouldn’t do that. Your face is too pretty to be covered in blood.” It was clear that Jack was trying to be reassuring and all but that didn’t exactly help at all. 

“I just...I didn’t mean to question you. I don’t know. I’ve always been a programmer, I haven’t really done anything else and being your PA sounds like a lot to handle at once.” Rhys tried his best to recover from what he had previously said, still moderately nervous about what Jack would do. Said man just let go of his shoulders and moved over to prop himself up against the desk, right in front of Rhys’ seated form. He took a mental note to try to remember this moment for as long as he could, knowing there was no way he would ever be _this_ close to Handsome Jack’s crotch again.

“You’re a smart kid. And I’ll say it again, you succeeded even after you lost your family. You didn’t let that stop you, you let that motivate you. Am I right?”

“Yes, sir...u-um, yes, Jack.”

“You handled the death of your parents on top of being a full time college student, and then just recently adding your internship on top of that. And you’re saying being my PA would be a lot to handle? It’s a hell of a lot easier than everything you’ve been doing, pumpkin. All you have to do is bring shit to me and follow me around. Doesn’t that sound better than constantly doing projects and having to report to dickfaces like Wallethead?” For some reason, Rhys nodded. To be honest, it didn’t sound better. He enjoyed doing projects. But he’d love not having to report to Vasquez all the time. But the thought of being around Jack so much also made him nervous. Not because he was fearful of what the CEO could do. No, it was really just because he knew it wouldn’t take long for him to break and beg Jack to fuck him. Fucking hormones. Fucking fantasies. Fucking Jack...ugh.

“Great! You’re gonna make a great PA, kiddo. My little PA.” Jack just grinned at him and leaned forward to pat Rhys on the shoulder, but the man lingered. Before Rhys could realize he had just somehow agreed to be Jack’s PA, masked lips were at the shell of his ear, murmuring. And it took all of the strength he had not to squeak in delight. 

“All mine.”


	3. 20 Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's game of 20 questions doesn't exactly go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why I love writing this Jack so much. Manipulative Jack. I enjoy it way too much.
> 
> Unbeta'd. No surprise there.

Rhys woke up the next morning...okay, afternoon, feeling better than he’s ever felt in a long time. He was actually...really happy. Why wouldn’t he be? He was staying in one of Handsome Jack’s many penthouses in the galaxy, he had just become Handsome Jack’s PA, he had just graduated from college with his best friends...speaking of best friends.

Lifting his head from the way too fluffy and comfortable pillow, Rhys reached over to grab his ECHO Comm from the nightstand beside his bed. He didn’t care if he looked like shit at the moment. He had just left Vaughn without explaining what was going on and he felt like a dick for it. 

_**5 Missed Calls from ‘Bro’** _

Fuck.

Not even a second passed after Rhys called up Vaughn, his friend popping up on the screen looking both a mixture of worried and relieved.

“What the fuck, dude?! I tried calling you all day when those guys showed up at our dorm and took all of your stuff. I thought you had fucking died or something, I don’t know.” Wait what?

“Uh...Vaughn, what guys?”

“You know, Angel’s bodyguards. I wanted to ask them what the hell they were doing but even after all these years, I still think they’d beat me to a pulp if I fucked with them.”

“Why were they...?” Then it clicked. It was probably Jack, wasn’t it? He probably sent them to get his stuff from their dorm. Great, now he felt even more like a dick for not letting Vaughn know what was going on. “Look, I’m sorry for not answering. I was up late last night and...there’s really no excuse, I get it. I should have told you before I left.”

“Told me what?” Vaughn seemed to have relaxed a little bit once he saw that Rhys was fine. “You look like shit, by the way.”

“That’s what happens when I sleep all day, apparently. Anyway, I kinda...said yes to Jack’s offer. I just told you it was a sleepover with Angel because I knew you’d freak out. And I guess I was so distracted by everything, I just...didn’t think to call and tell you the truth. I’m sorry though, I really am. I know you must’ve been worried sick.” Rhys chewed at his bottom lip, his free hand trying to comb back his hair and make it look...well, less shitty.

Vaughn just shook his head and gave him a smile, but even Rhys could tell that it was forced. “It’s cool. You’re okay now and that’s what matters, right? Is he...treating you...okay?”

“I mean...I guess.” Rhys just shrugged, not entirely sure if ‘treating him right’ was the right way to put it. “I’ve got my own room and stuff. Brand new bed, brand new desk and chair, everything. I...fuck, I’m his PA now, bro. It was either that or just being another programmer and he didn’t exactly seem to want me to be anything but his PA. So I kinda...couldn’t really say no.” The look on Vaughn’s face told Rhys that he very much did _not_ approve.

“You need to be careful, Rhys. I don’t trust that guy. Hell, nobody trusts that guy. He’s Handsome Jack! Psychopath! Murderer! Need I go on, dude?” Rhys rolled his eyes with a loud groan, his head dropping back onto the pillow. Oh, that feels so good. “I get it, I get it. But you said it yourself, it’s either I live on the streets or I live with Handsome freaking Jack. I’m sorry but this was the most appealing option of the two.”

Vaughn let out an audible sigh and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He wasn’t even looking at the screen anymore and Rhys knew what was going on. “I’m okay. Okay? Trust me, you’d be the first person I’d call if I was in any kind of trouble. But right now I’m...kind of enjoying it. And think of it this way, if I keep this up with Jack, I can even see if I can get you a promotion if your application gets approved. I could even make sure that your application gets approved! Look, how about all of us go out on Friday? You, me, Sash, Fi and Angel.”

“Go to that new bar that opened up by the university?”

“You read my mind, bro.”

***

After Rhys finished talking with Vaughn and catching up on everything that was going on, he forced himself to get up from the bed that he had already fallen in love with. And then he went to the dresser which was...oh. Empty. Well, shit. That meant he only had his pajamas -which were Jack’s anyway-, cap and gown and his outfit from yesterday. 

With an annoyed groan, he made his way out of his room and peeked down the hall. The door to Jack’s office and his bedroom were both open, which Rhys knew meant that he wasn’t in either one. And the now familiar husky voice coming from the living room just proved his suspicion. He hesitated for a moment, suddenly feeling awkward facing him after their whole talk last night. But Rhys somehow gathered up the courage anyway and followed the sound of the...now very angry voice.

“I don’t care what you have to do! Bribe the little shithead with as much money as he wants. Say we’ll give him a friggin’ turbomansion or some shit...geez, you’re really stupid. Of course we’re not gonna give him a damn turbomansion! I’ll shove him out of an airlock once we get our hands on those designs. We are _not_ going to let those Maliwan shitstains steal another design from us. Got it?...You have until the end of the weekend to convince that fuck that we’re the best ones to make his design come to life. You wanna know what’ll happen if you let this slip through our fingers? I’ll chop up those same fingers and shove them so far up your ass that you’ll puke them out. Now, get to work.”

Rhys stood in the doorway in complete shock. He had almost forgotten how...violent, Jack could get. The man had been so focused on taking care of the poor college graduate that it made Rhys feel like that was just who he was. But now, now he remembered the other side of Jack. The side he really didn’t want to mess with. 

“Oh, hey, kiddo! Can you believe these guys? They can’t even convince a stupid little nerd to give us his weapon designs.” Jack gave a dramatic eye roll and settled back into the couch, legs spread out confidently. Rhys was sure he would have to physically hold himself back to keep himself from dropping to his knees in front of the man. How could one man be so unfairly sexy?

“What kind of design is it?” Rhys decided to ask, hoping to get his head out of the gutter and focus on something else instead. It wasn’t until Jack raised an eyebrow and gestured to the chair across from him that the younger man realized he was just awkwardly standing there the whole time. Clearing his throat in an attempt to seem less awkward than he was - though he was pretty sure that only made it worse-, he complied to the CEO’s silent command and went over to sit down in the chair while Jack responded.

“Looks like a normal pistol with an elemental effect, right? A shock effect. But this guy somehow figured out a way to make the shock reach multiple targets, even if the bullet only went into one person. Now, when you think of Hyperion, you don’t really think of elemental weapons, do ya? You think Maliwan or some shit. But that’s why we gotta grab this opportunity while we can. If we can get the design and succeed in making it work, those Maliwan bastards are gonna look like shit compared to us.” Jack’s grin was full of pride, smug, really. But Rhys actually didn’t really care, he was actually enjoying listening to Jack’s plans. 

“Anyway, you settling in, kiddo? Angel went to the beach with...ugh, Lilith. Her choice in friends can be terrible sometimes, aside from you, ‘course. So, we’ve got the house to ourselves.” The smirk on Jack’s face nearly made Rhys squirm in his seat. And the look in the man’s heterochromatic eyes said it all. He was planning something. Rhys didn’t know what it was but something told him he would enjoy every second of it. Or maybe he was just being too hopeful at this point.

Rhys blinked, remembering that Jack had actually asked him a question and not just eye fucked him. “U-Um...good, I guess. It’s still weird, y’know...living with my boss and all. Y’know... _the_ Handsome Jack. Heh.” Oh god, he was so awkward.

“How about a little game, princess? 20 questions? Maybe that’ll help.” Jack silently pat the spot on the couch next to him and Rhys had no choice but to move. The short distance to the couch was agony just on its own, his boss’ eyes were practically searing into his body. Oh, he really shouldn’t be enjoying this at all. But he couldn’t help it. All of those fantasies he had late at night were suddenly coming true. Well, partially, at least.

“I’ll go first. We’ll start simple and then go into the better questions. Any siblings?” Jack shifted just enough to lean back into the corner of the couch and face Rhys, his legs still spread out widely, one arm laid out over the back of the couch while the other was resting over his leg. Fuck, he was hot.

“Ah...no. No siblings. I was an only child. But I’ve known Vaughn for most of my life so he’s kind of like a brother to me. Any um...other kids besides Angel?”

“Nah, she’s my one and only. Maybe that’s why you two get along so well. What about your sexuality, kid?”

What happened to simple questions?

“W-Well, I, um...dated women in high school but um...experimented with guys my first couple years of college so...I like both...I guess? Anyway, um...not to be much of a fanboy but...what was it like? When you first started out as the CEO of Hyperion?” Rhys had to pull his knees up to his chest to hide the pink tinting his cheeks. His sexuality was never something he would talk about with anyone but his friends.

“Gotta say, it was pretty great. I had wanted to be the top for a while, give Tassiter a piece of my mind. Which meant killing the shit out of him, by the way. But yeah, I enjoyed it. Everyone suddenly feared me and I had all the power in the world. I was a god. And ya know, still am.” The older man flashed another smug grin, giving Rhys a thorough look-over before asking his next question. “How long have you admired me, pumpkin? It’s pretty obvious you do. Plus, Angel told me you’re pretty much obsessed so there’s no point in denying it.” Damn her.

“Pretty much... when you became the CEO, maybe a little after that. My...my dad worked for Hyperion. Pretty much all my life, he was working up on Helios. I guess I wanted to do the internship to feel closer to him, somehow.” Rhys rested his cheek over the top of his knees, now looking off at the window. He never realized how much he understood Angel’s hatred for talking about her parents. “Um...what was Angel like as a kid?”

“Same as she is now. Freakishly smart, brain the size of a friggin’ planet, just a hell of a lot more tantrums. Who was your dad, kiddo?” Fuck, he really didn’t want to keep answering these questions.

“Professor Jacobs. Can we...not talk about my parents anymore? It’s a sensitive topic for me.” 

***

Jack stared at the young man in shock, the name registering in an instant. Everyone in Hyperion knew of Professor Jacobs, he was one of the best. They all knew of...the accident. Slowly, the pieces started to fit together. The accident, the cybernetic arm Angel said he got when he was almost 18, knowing he lost his parents at 17...fuck.

“You were in the accident, weren’t you?” Rhys visibly tensed up but didn’t protest, so Jack pressed on. “Holy shit, that should’ve killed ya, kiddo. That explosion was all anyone in Hyperion could talk about for weeks. How in the shit did you even survive? How-”

“Stop.”

Now, he may not have the best intentions for the kid, even he knew that. But the pain in his voice made Jack stop in an instant. The man’s eyes were glossed over with unshed tears, lower lip trembling as his hands clenched around his legs. And Jack was stuck between wanting to press for more answers but also still wanting to stay on Rhys’ good side for as long as he could. With a sigh -which was somewhat exaggerated-, Jack scooted across the couch to settle next to Rhys, who had tried to scoot away before the older man wrapped a large hand around his wrist.

“Hey, I’m sorry, kiddo. It’s just that no one ever heard of anyone surviving that thing. It’s a miracle you’re still here.” Jack tried to use his most soothing voice, not wanting to scare Rhys away or upset him even more. But the kid wasn’t having any of it.

“You don’t know what it’s like!” Rhys practically yelled, jerking his flesh wrist out of Jack’s grip. And Jack had to use all of his strength not to snap at the kid for yelling at him. “To be flung out of a second story window from the blast, cracking my skull and passing out, only to realize when I woke up that everyone I cared about and loved died while I just lost a fucking arm and got stitches. You can never understand what that’s like.” The last part was uttered out through gritted teeth and Jack could tell that their anger was skyrocketing. But before he had the chance to get his hands around Rhys’ throat, the lanky man was up from the couch and getting on his boots.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Jack snapped, his rage quickly threatening to boil over. And it didn’t help that the kid just ignored him and walked out the door, said door shutting with a loud ‘slam’. Meanwhile, Jack’s hands were clenched at his sides in an attempt to just try to calm himself.

“Just breathe. He’ll learn his place soon enough.”

***

Originally, Rhys had no idea where the hell he was going to go. He couldn’t just walk around because he looked fucking insane in his shorts, tank top and boots. He also couldn’t go see Vaughn because he knew his friend would completely freak out once he heard what happened. Then there was Angel, he realized. She knew Jack better than anyone and the beach wasn’t too far away. What was the harm in going to see her and Lilith?

“What the hell are you wearing?”

Angel being the fashion police, that was the harm in going.

“I don’t have any other clothes at the house and I kinda left in a hurry.” Rhys glanced down at his, well...technically Jack’s clothes and just shrugged. He wasn’t really in the mood to get into an argument over his choice in clothing. “Hey, Lilith.” A robotic hand raised in an awkward greeting to the pink-haired woman. Lilith was just as small as Angel was and Rhys towered over both of them but geez, the chick was scary sometimes.

“Sup.” Was her simple reply before she waved the two of them off and headed back into the water.

Meanwhile, Angel was staring Rhys down...well, up. Her brows were furrowed in concentration. “You okay, dude? You seem...not like yourself. What happened? Oh god, what the hell did my dad do to you?” There was a sudden panic in her voice as she hurried up to him and started to look him over, pulling and twisting at his appendages as if looking for something. “I swear, if he already hurt you-”

“No, no, no. He didn’t...physically do anything.” The response just made Angel look even more confused. “He...ugh, he brought up my parents, okay? And he wouldn’t shut up about the accident, asking questions.” His flesh hand reached back to run through his still messy hair. He really must look like shit now. He didn’t even want to know what he looked like to everyone else around him.

“Yeah...my dad’s an asshole like that. He’s always an asshole but...he doesn’t really have a filter at all, he just says shit without really caring what the other person thinks. Come on, come cool down over here.” With a wave of her hand, Angel led him over to the towels spread out beneath a black umbrella. The two of them sat down and fell silent, neither one of them really knowing what to say. 

A couple minutes passed of Rhys just watching the waves before he finally spoke up, his eyes glued to the water. “Why did he offer to take me in? As far as I know, he’s not really the selfless type of guy.”

“I keep trying to ask him but he won’t tell me. I don’t like it though, I really don’t. I should’ve told you to say no, Rhys. My dad doesn’t do anything like this without having some sort of ill intentions. But you’re already in it now and...you know why that’s dangerous.” Angel gave him an almost sympathetic smile.

“Because no one says no to Handsome Jack.” Rhys groaned, collapsing back onto the towel and staring up at the inside of the umbrella. “I got myself into so much shit, didn’t I? But...I mean, it’s not entirely bad. I could be on the streets getting my ass kicked by all the gangs around here.” He attempted to offer a reassuring look, but he was sure it was more of a ‘even I don’t believe what I’m talking about’ look. Either way, she seemed to try to go along with his attempts at comforting himself.

“I mean, yeah. Jack isn’t...the _worst_ option.” 

“Yeah, I could be begging Vaughn’s family to take me in right now.”

“Or you could be turning to prostitution just to get a place to stay. Actually...knowing you, you wouldn’t mind that.”

“Rude! But accurate.”

They continued on like that for a little while, going back and forth listing off all of the worst situations Rhys could be in. And by the time they were finished, Rhys was actually starting to think Jack really wasn’t the worst option. He had a roof over his head, and a damn nice roof at that. And he had his best friend by his side the whole way. 

“’Ey, isn’t that your dad?” Lilith had returned from swimming a short time ago, her chin tilted in the direction behind the two of them. Despite knowing he could have it way worse, the thought of Jack being around still terrified him at the moment. He had walked out on _Handsome Jack_. But not before lashing out and yelling at him. Oh god, he was gonna die. And one turn of his head proved that Lilith was right, Jack was walking up to their little set up, now in his usual outfit rather than the sweater and sweatpants he was in earlier. In an instant, Rhys was sitting up straight and tense, eyes glued to the sand beneath him rather than the older man.

“C’mon, you two, we’re going shopping. Pack up your shit. And Angel, there’s clothes for you to put on in the car.” Once Rhys dared to look up, Jack was staring right at him from over the rim of his sunglasses. “Come on, shithead, we’re gonna get you some clothes. Plus, daddy needs some new shit too.” The masked man offered a wiggle of his brows and a smirk that made Rhys’ heart flutter. God, he really didn’t have any control of himself, did he?

“Here.” Jack grabbed the jeans that had been laying over his shoulder while Angel started packing up and Rhys stood up from the towel. The jeans were suddenly thrown at him and he flailed to catch them so they didn’t get completely covered in sand. “Put those on so you don’t embarrass the living shit out of me. And yourself.” Rhys narrowed his eyes at his boss but said nothing else as he pulled on the jeans. They were clearly Jack’s seeing as they stopped just above his ankles. Damn his long legs. They also barely sat around his hips, being a size or two too big for his lanky form. 

When he looked back up, Jack was just watching him futz with the clothing, lips pressed together as if he was trying not to burst out laughing. Angel and Lilith, however, were more than happy to snicker behind him.

“I’m pretty sure you look worse now.” Angel commented with a smirk that made her look way too much like her father.

Rhys just gave her the middle finger and pouted.

***

2 minutes into their shopping trip, Rhys had started to wonder if it was all just a set up to get Rhys and Jack alone again. The CEO had apparently ‘forgot’ that one of Angel’s favorite stores was having a sale on all of their items, to which Angel practically screeched and ran off with Axton and Roland right behind her. That left the two men alone. Again. They were both silent at first, Rhys feeling completely uncomfortable with the amount of stares he was getting from everyone else in the mall. He couldn’t really blame them though. He would do the same if he saw someone hanging around Handsome Jack.

“So, about earlier...” Oh, here we go. Rhys peeked around the rack of pants he was inspecting, patiently waiting for the older man to continue on. “I get why you were upset, kiddo. Shoulda stopped when you said so the first time. But,” Rhys’ breath hitched in his throat as Jack approached him, continuing to step forward until Rhys’ back hit the wall. His chin was gripped between a rough thumb and forefinger, keeping his head still as Jack leaned forward. “I let you off easy this one time. Next time you leave without letting me know where you’re going? You don’t wanna know what I’ll do to you. I have a feeling you may not mind it though.” Rhys’ eyelids had lowered when Jack had leaned in, the tips of their noses just barely touching. He knew he should be terrified. He should be completely freaked out and worried about what Jack would do to him. But the way that threat was spoken, in that low, husky voice with that smirk that frustrated Rhys to no end...he almost _did_ want to know. And the very much not subtle hint that came afterwards just made the younger man weak in the knees.

“I have a feeling spankings are your thing.”


	4. Tea?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long, stressful day, Rhys turns to...other methods to help him sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got some smut for y'all. You are welcome.
> 
> And we get to see a hint at what Jack's plans are for Rhys.
> 
> ENJOY
> 
> Unbeta'd so yeah.

Jack backed away from Rhys’ rigid form, but not before giving the younger man a firm pat on the cheek. “Get whatever you want, kiddo. Buy out the whole mall if you want, I don’t care.” Large hands gestured around the area for emphasis, then moved back around the rack of pants to let Rhys continue looking. It was then that Rhys realized he had been holding his breath the whole time. He exhaled slowly, quietly, trying not to make it completely obvious that Jack had such an effect on him. 

“Are, um...are you sure? I don’t want to...” He trailed off when he realized how stupid he sounded. He was going to say that he didn’t want to spend all of Jack’s money before he remembered that he’s the damn CEO of Hyperion. He could get $100,000 with just a snap of his fingers. Falling silent after that, Rhys focused on picking out a couple dress pants, knowing they would be good for work. As Jack’s PA. Shit, he forgot all about that. If he could barely handle being in Jack’s presence now, how in the world would be be able to follow the man around like a puppy 24/7? He was so fucked. 

But despite his momentary bit of panic, Rhys was able to get through the next half hour of shopping without another incident. After just going to three stores, Rhys was already running out of hands to carry all of his bags. Jack, seeing the lanky man struggle so much, decided it was just best to have any other purchases shipped straight to the house. Rhys was beyond grateful for that. But it all still felt....weird. Despite his father being the best scientist at Hyperion, their family hadn’t been entirely wealthy. So, Rhys was never given this opportunity to just...shop and go crazy with it. It was weird but...nice. He really enjoyed it.

That was...until the changing room.

Rhys had been trying on a few dress shirts for work and more special occasions. And it had been going great until...the sleeve of one of the shirts got caught between the yellow plates of his cybernetic arm. With a whine that was way too loud, he started tugging at the fabric, attempting to get it free from the metal. But of course, he just had to make it obvious that he was struggling. Because all of a sudden, the curtain of the dressing room was being pulled back for Jack to enter into the already small space. Great. Just fucking great.

“Uh...how the shit did you do that, dum-dum?” Rhys glared at the nickname and continued to pull at the shirt, brushing the older man off for the time being. “I got it. Get the hell out of here, I’m not a fan of my boss seeing me half-naked.” Oh boy, that was a big lie and Rhys knew it. Jack did too, apparently, who just rolled his eyes and raised his hands. Rhys didn’t even have time to flinch before he was pushed back against the wall, calloused hands pressed firmly against his bare chest. Through his shock, he just barely registered the pleasant spark that ran through his body when Jack’s skin touched his own. No, no, no, bad. No. Now wasn’t the time to be getting turned on, not in a damn changing room. 

“Just grab the damn shirt and hold still. Stop whining.” And something in Jack’s voice told him he wouldn’t have any choice. So, he just nodded and grabbed the shirt again, holding it tight. Meanwhile, Jack’s hands removed from his chest -much to his disappointment- and placed them on the yellow plates of his upper arm instead. His brow was furrowed, focused now as he assessed the workings of Rhys’ arm. “Do these things come off?”

“Y-Yeah but don’t-”

“I’m not taking them off, kid. I’m just gonna loosen them enough so you can tug the shirt out. Shut your mouth and let me work.” The man seemed almost annoyed that he ‘had’ to help Rhys get the shirt free. But it wasn’t like he had to, he just took it upon himself to help out despite Rhys’ complaints. Jack was frustrating sometimes, that was for sure.

It took a few minutes and some grumbled swears before Jack was able to loosen up a few screws and bolts, which in return loosened the plates from the rest of his arm. “Now, just...there!” Jack let out a triumphant sound as Rhys was able to pull the shirt from in between the metal, a sigh of relief coming from the younger man. There was a very small rip from where he had been pulling t/oo hard, but thankfully he could just sew it up when they got home. Assuming he could get his hands on a sewing kit. Something told him there was no way Handsome Jack would just have a sewing kit laying around.

“Thank you.” Rhys uttered, suddenly much more aware of his half naked self. He awkwardly lifted the black shirt to his chest in an attempt to cover himself up somehow while Jack tightened the screws and bolts up again. When he was finished, however, he stayed put. Even despite Rhys’ desperate gesturing towards the curtain for him to leave so he could try on the rest of the shirts. He didn’t know what he really expected though. This was Handsome Jack he was talking about, the same man that continued to make subtle advances whenever he had the chance.

“You know, there’s a lot of things two people can do in a dressing room.” Jack mused, fingers lazily dancing over Rhys’ exposed flesh shoulder. Said younger man had to physically keep himself from letting out an embarrassing squeak. He hadn’t even been aware of how close Jack had suddenly gotten, to the point of practically pressing Rhys against the wall with just his weight. “You’re always so tense, kitten.” The hand on his shoulder then splayed out over his side, just under his arm. It slid downwards, putting just enough pressure against the skin that Rhys involuntarily arched his back, a shiver running up his spine. 

“There we go.” The man against him cooed, repeating the action until Rhys felt almost limp against the wall. What the hell was this guy doing to him? He should be fighting it, it’s his boss for fuck’s sake. And Angel’s father. But as much as his brain screamed at him to fight it and push him away, his body failed him when Jack’s other hand went to his other side, now rubbing at the flesh along with the other one. Oh, he was so screwed. 

“Lemme take care of you, Rhys.” It was the first time Rhys had heard his name come from the man’s lips. It was also the first time he heard him sound so...genuine. Rhys knew what he meant. He wasn’t talking about taking care of him in a sexual context, though he was sure that was implied anyway. Jack was talking about in general. Taking care of him, keeping a roof over his head, giving him a good job, and so on. And all he did was nod in response before Jack started leaning in, their lips just barely ghosting each other before a soft voice came from outside the changing room.

“Sir? Is there anything you need?” Rhys was torn between wanting to thank the woman profusely for interrupting or screaming at her for interrupting. He decided not to go for the latter.

Jack straightened up with a clenched jaw, allowing Rhys to gather up his voice and respond. “I’m fine, thank you! I-I’ll be right out.”

“Oh, no rush! Just let me know if there’s anything else you need.” And with that, he could hear the click of heels retreating from the changing room. He took advantage of Jack’s momentary distracted state to hastily pull on his shirt and gather up all of the other ones he had tried on. By the time he had all of the shirts slung over his shoulder, Jack was watching him with his arms crossed over his chest. The CEO said nothing, just glared and tore open the curtain before stalking out.

Did...did he just witness Handsome Jack have a temper tantrum?

***

It felt like deja vu all over again. It was once again the middle of the night and Rhys couldn’t sleep for the life of him. But this time, it was because his brain wouldn’t shut up about everything that happened that day. He had tried to talk to Vaughn about it but when it became even slightly sexual, his best friend just shut him up and begged him not to continue. And there was absolutely no way he could tell Angel anything that had happened. So, he was stuck not being able to let everything out. Maybe he should go back to writing in his journal or something. It was one of the many things Axton and Roland had brought back from his and Vaughn’s dorm. 

But no. He needed that tea again. 

So, here he was again. Doing his best to silently pad around the pitch dark penthouse and using the walls to help guide him. It wasn’t until he was just at the doorway to the kitchen that he realized the light was already on. And he froze. Oh god, he really hoped it was just Angel. But no, of course not. The second he peeked his head in, he saw Jack sitting at the island with his laptop and a glass of what Rhys assumed was whiskey. He debated whether or not he should just go back and force himself to sleep this time. He and Jack hadn’t exactly...talked...since what happened in the mall. They had just finished up and gotten to bed right after they got home. He hadn’t even gotten a chance to thank Jack for getting all of his things from his dorm. 

“Ya gonna stare all night, cupcake?”

Rhys blinked, taking a moment to realize he had just been staring at Jack this whole time. Fuck, he really had to stop zoning out like that. With a sheepish smile, Rhys now had no choice but to awkwardly slink into the kitchen. He felt his boss’ eyes on him the whole time he was going over to the cabinets where he remembered Jack got the tea from last time. It wasn’t until he bent down to open up the cabinet door that he heard a low wolf whistle come from behind him.

“Too bad I don’t have my camera with me. That’s a damn nice shot.” Rhys’ cheeks heated up in an instant, his embarrassment nearly making him drop the box of tea from his hands. But he soon regained his cool and simply cleared his throat before shutting the cabinet door and straightening up to put the box on the counter. 

Before he could register what was happening, Jack’s chest was pressed against his back, pinning him to the edge of the counter. Similar to earlier that day, one hand was gliding down his side, almost as if to coax him to relax. But this time, the gentle touch didn’t last long. The hand smoothed out over his hipbone before thick fingers dipped beneath the waistband of his sweatpants, searching.

_Searching_

“You know, if you needed help sleeping, there are other ways to do that.” Jack’s lips were right against the shell of his ear, just hovering. And Rhys could barely hold back the pathetic whimper as Jack’s fingertips brushed over his length.

“J-Jack...don’t...” He was torn. On one hand, the logical part of him knew it was terrible to be doing this kind of shit with your own boss and best friend’s father. Hell, it was terrible to do this with Handsome Jack in general. But on the other hand? This was just the first step to all of his nighttime fantasies coming true. Handsome Jack, _the_ Handsome Jack was pressed up against him with his hand down Rhys’ pants. God, being so conflicted made his head hurt.

To his surprise, Jack paused. There was complete silence for a moment before he spoke up again, his voice genuine like it had been in the changing room. “Tell me to stop and I’ll stop, kiddo.” Was it bad that it actually...surprised Rhys that Jack cared about his consent? Jack could easily take whatever the hell he wanted, he was surely powerful enough. But Rhys figured he wasn’t a complete asshole after all.

Now he had to make a decision though. He could stop this right now, get his tea and go back to bed. Or...he could be selfish and live out his fantasies just for one night. He could stop this and try to establish more firm boundaries between the two of them. Or he could tell Jack to keep going and leave all thoughts of boundaries behind.

The latter was starting to sound like a much better option.

“Keep going...” Rhys’ voice was just barely a whisper, but he knew Jack heard and felt him grinning against his skin. Suddenly, he was being pulled by the hand and led back to his room, abandoning everything else in the kitchen. He was about to ask Jack what in the world he was doing before the door was shut behind him and Jack was going over to sit back on his bed, legs spread out wide.

“Come here.” Jack tapped the empty spot between his thighs and gave Rhys an expectant look. It was a look that left little to no argument. So Rhys scurried over to his bed and awkwardly crawled up onto the mattress, pausing for a moment. He wasn’t entirely sure what Jack had wanted him to do, but the man took charge anyway and tugged on Rhys’ wrist. The younger man was flung forward, his face connecting with Jack’s bare chest with a soft ‘oof’. He wasn’t even given much time to recover before he was being turned around, back now pressed against Jack’s chest like it had been just moments ago. “Relax, kitten. Let daddy take care of you.” He might as well have came right then and there. But he still did as he was told and melted back into Jack’s body, his head resting comfortably against the man’s broad shoulder. 

One hand started to comb through Rhys’ messy hair, so tenderly that Rhys felt like he could fall asleep just from that. It was weird though, seeing Handsome Jack so...gentle. But to no surprise, the gentle touch didn’t last long. The once tender fingers suddenly curled into Rhys’ hair and tugged, pulling his head back with an audible gasp from the younger man. His reaction seemed to please Jack, judging by his smirk and the little glint in his heterochromatic eyes that he was forced to stare up into.

“Much better than tea, huh, kitten?” It was then that Rhys realized Jack’s other hand had snuck back beneath the front of his sweatpants, now gripping his cock in a firm hold. With the whimpers that threatened to escape, Rhys didn’t trust his voice. So he simply nodded in response. But Jack didn’t seem too pleased with that.

With a harsh tug to his hair, Jack growled out. “Words.”

“Y-Yes...”

“Yes, what?”

Rhys paused, knowing exactly what Jack wanted to hear but feeling far too embarrassed to say it. So, he settled on the other option instead, hoping Jack would take the dark blush on his cheeks as a hint to not push it.

“Yes, sir.” He finally uttered, a hesitant gaze flickering up to watch for the older man’s reaction. To his relief, Jack looked at least somewhat content with his response. Or at least content enough for him to start slowly stroking Rhys’ cock beneath his sweatpants, a calloused thumb lazily gliding over its tip. That action alone caused him to moan out unabashedly, his flesh hand flying up to cover his mouth when he remembered that oh yeah, he doesn’t exactly want Angel to know her father is fucking getting him off. Jack just snickered in amusement at that, but he didn’t make Rhys move his hand. He probably realized that Rhys being loud wasn’t the best idea at the moment. 

“You’re gonna get off to listening to me tell you what I’m gonna do to you. Got it, cupcake?” Rhys started to nod feverishly, but quickly remembered to utter out a soft ‘yes, sir’ between his fingers. Then, Jack continued on. “Wanna know what I’m gonna do to you once I get you all alone? First, m’gonna bend your lanky body over my desk and you’re gonna stick your ass out for me like a good boy. And you’re gonna take your spanking without a single complaint. You complain? You’ll just get another set of swats.” As Jack murmured into his ear, his strokes gradually quickened until it was at a pace Jack seemed content with. Meanwhile, Rhys was already a complete mess, letting out small, pathetic moans against the palm of his hand and occasionally bucking up into Jack’s hand. That is, until the older man tugs at his hair as a silent command for him to stop. Oh god, he really shouldn’t be doing this. But it just feels so fucking good.

“-take my fingers out and reach around to curl my fingers around your throat. Gonna pull you back and pin you against me as I shove my cock into that tight little ass of yours. You’d like that, wouldn’t’cha? Getting choked while I start fucking you senseless. And you’re gonna scream for me, aren’t you? Fuck, I can’t wait to hear you when I fuck ya. Can’t wait to hear you beg for me to fuck you harder, to choke you harder. Maybe even beg me to let you cum. How about we do that now, hm?” Rhys’ eyes widened in mild panic when Jack’s hand left his hair to grab his wrist instead, tugging it away from his mouth. At the same time, his pace quickened to an almost unbearable speed. It took all of Rhys’ strength not to make the sounds he desperately wanted to.

Jack’s head tipped forward, forehead pressed against the younger man’s. Their lips hovered just centimeters from each other, the CEO’s lips being parted as if he were prepared to swallow any sounds Rhys ended up making. “C’mon, beg for it, kitten. Beg daddy to let you cum.” His voice had gotten huskier than usual, almost to the point of growling, and it was so hard for Rhys not to cum just from that. He really didn’t want to know what Jack would do if he came without doing what he said.

“Please...f-fuck, Jack, please...” It was pathetic and he knew it. But despite the overwhelming pleasure, he was still worried about Angel somehow hearing him. That was something he could never imagine being able to live down.

“Mm...no. You can do better than that. It’s okay, Rhysie, you can let yourself go. I know you wanna beg like a good boy.” He really wasn’t wrong. And that caused a new wave of embarrassment to wash over him. But it was quickly taken over by the unbearable desire to just _cum_ already.

“Please let me cum...p-please. F-fuck, shit...please let me cum, d...” Rhys hesitated, but just for a split second. The cloudy haze in his brain didn’t let him think about what he was saying for too long. “P-Please let me cum...d-daddy.”

Through his heavy lidded gaze, he could see the wicked grin that formed on Jack’s lips. Glancing up even further, his eyes connected with an all too familiar heterochromatic pair. They had darkened with lust, just about glazing over, a few strands of his silver hair falling over his face. And fuck, if that wasn’t the hottest thing Rhys had ever seen. But before he knew it, Jack’s grip was tightening around his length and his thumb was continuously rubbing against his tip, smearing pre-cum along the sensitive flesh. Rhys couldn’t help himself from bucking his hips up again and thankfully, Jack didn’t care to stop him this time.

“That’s a good boy...now, cum for daddy, kitten.”

That was all it took for Rhys to come completely undone, short white spurts covering the inside of his sweatpants. His head ducked forward, lips pressing hard against the side of Jack’s neck to muffle the embarrassingly loud moans that escaped. And just as he came, Jack’s hand had dropped his wrist and came up around his neck, pressing down harshly against his windpipe. Rhys was easily convinced that he was in heaven. Jack’s hand around his throat, completely hindering his ability to breathe, just made his climax even more intense. It left him desperately jerking his hips up all the way until he sudden wave of pleasure had died down, then leaving him a trembling mess in Jack’s hold, gasping for air once the man’s hand lowered from his throat.

“Good boy.” He whispered into the exhausted man’s ear, the hand between his legs wiping against the fabric of his sweatpants before it came up to join his other one. Both began to stroke up and down his sides, similar to what had been done in the dressing room. The combined pressure from Jack’s large hands and the sweet words whispered into his ear made Rhys completely melt against the larger man. Slowly, his eyes began to shut, suddenly feeling every ounce of the exhaustion that wracked his body.

Sleep...mm...sleep sounded good...

***

“And you...kid? Did you seriously just fall asleep on me? Friggin’...” Jack grumbled, hands retracting from Rhys’ body as if they were somehow on fire. It took a moment but he was able to awkwardly slide out from behind the younger man and get back onto his feet without waking him. He just stood there, hands on his hips with a smug grin on his lips. Everything was going to plan so far. The kid was so easy to take control of, it was almost laughable. Can’t say he expected much though, considering how much Angel told him about the major crush the kid had on him. 

If only he knew he’d be nothing more than Jack’s little slave by the end of the month.


End file.
